|
can you love Jesus too much? or extremism in the worship of Jesus editorial |
||
|
|
complete list of editorials: 2004 election * "Sanctity of Life" is a "false doctrine" * Abortion Divorce God's Purpose for Hurricane Katrina * Why Do Muslims Hate Jews? * Masturbation The Meaning of Life * Why Churches Don't Have Unity * Who Can Be Saved? Can You Love Jesus Too Much?
Conclusion: Yes, you can love Jesus too much. As with everything else, there needs to be a balance in the worship of Jesus. Our primary function is to serve and worship the Father. Our secondary function in to serve and worship Jesus. All of Christianity seems to be out of balance with an emphasis on Jesus as the center of devotion. Evangelicals, because they are extreme by nature, are extremely out of balance in this area. I am not suggesting that the worship of Jesus be diminished, but rather, that the worship of the Father be increased so that it is above everything else.
Forward: I was in Evangelical churches for over 35 years and was a conservative Republican during that time. It became obvious to me that the Evangelicals were becoming more and more radical in their political actions. The “Terri Schiavo case” was the “straw that broke the camel’s back” for me. (see "Sanctity of Life" is a "false doctrine") It became clear to me that the leaders of the Evangelical political movement were out of touch with God and were off into the ditch on the right side of the spiritual road. As I listened to my local pastors, I realized that they were also into extremism. According to the Bible, extremism is not good. The Bible says in Ecc 7:16-18 (NIV):
"Do not be overrighteous,
I began to wonder about the rest of the doctrines in the Evangelical churches. Were these doctrines also extreme? After 35 years of listening to the teachings of extremists, it seemed prudent for me to examine my beliefs. Where was I extreme? Upon examination, the first sign of extremism was obvious. I was extreme in my love for Jesus and my worship of Jesus. Jesus was the center and, as much as I could make him, the totality of my life. I wondered, “Could there be anything wrong with that? Can you love Jesus too much?” The answer came quickly. Yes, there is something wrong with being totally devoted to Jesus. You can be out of balance by ignoring the Father and worshipping Jesus so much that you treat the Father as if he were “chopped liver”.
Discussion: There is, according to my understanding, a “godhead” made up of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The preeminent “individual” in this “Godhead” is the Father. My relationship with Jesus was good but I had almost no relationship with the Father. Almost all of my prayers were to Jesus. Almost all of my worship was for Jesus. Even when I thought about the Father, I was really thinking of Jesus because I believed that he was “one” with the Father and that addressing Jesus was the same as addressing the Father. Then I considered that a husband and wife become “one” but they both still exist as individuals and both would like some attention.
The Relative Positions in the “Godhead” Jesus said: "..the Father is greater than I" (John 14:28). Therefore, the doctrines that speak of "coequal members of the godhead" are false doctrines. It is important to keep in mind the relative positions within the “godhead”. In the “godhead” the Father is always highest. Even though “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,” (Philippians Chapter 2) it does not mean that the name of Jesus is above the name of the Father and it does not mean that the position of Jesus is above the position of the Father. The Bible says that the Father is: One God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all. (Eph 4:6) The Bible says about Jesus: “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: (Luke 1:32) Jesus said: “ye believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 13:1) Jesus did not say that we should believe in him instead of the Father. Jesus did not say that we should believe that he (Jesus) is the Father. The Father is to be our “first love”. Who are you supposed to love “with all your heart and with all your soul, …” The answer is that you are to love “the LORD you God” with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deu 11:13 – KJV) To ignore the Father is to fail in keeping the most important commandment, which says, according to Jesus: “The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment.” (Mar 12:29-30) Notice in Revelation Chapter 4 that the whole chapter is about the Father on his throne. After establishing that the Father is first and foremost, Revelation Chapter 5 goes on to establish that Jesus is also to be worshipped. Chapter 5 Verse 13 says: “…To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”. Jesus, himself, said in John 13:16: “I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master nor is any messenger greater than the one who sent him.” Jesus, therefore, cannot be greater than the Father. Jesus always submitted himself to the Father. The fact that Jesus worshipped the Father, but the Father never worshiped Jesus, should be a clue about their relative positions in the "godhead". In addition to the Father, the Holy Spirit may also be above Jesus in the "godhead". Jesus said: "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." (Matthew 12:32) That would indicate that it is a higher level of holiness for the Holy Spirit than for Jesus.
Conclusion: Question: Does any of this matter? If you worship Jesus and ignore the Father is that OK? Answer: Yes, it does matter. No! It is not OK to ignore the Father. Why? The God of the Old Testament was very particular about the form and content of worship. It doesn’t make any sense to believe that He has suddenly quit caring. Proper worship is important to God. It is important because nothing else can be right unless our relationship with God is right. We are here to serve God and to accomplish his purposes. We are instructed to worship God “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). “Truth” would imply that your doctrines are accurate and you attitude is pure. God will bless the “truth” that you have. Your blessings will be diminished by wrong doctrines and bad attitudes. ************************ NOTE: I was raised in a religious culture that taught me to pray to Jesus. I read through the New Testament specifically looking for examples of people praying to Jesus - there were none. No one in the New Testament prayed to Jesus. Every prayer is directed to the Father. The only conversations with Jesus were in the flesh or during a vision. The only scripture, that I found, to support prayer directly to Jesus was John 14:14 which says "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." ************************ My opinion: It is good to worship Jesus but it is not good to worship Jesus more than you worship the Father because the Father is the one who commanded that Jesus be worshipped. It is good to praise Jesus but it is not good to praise him more than you praise the Father because the Father is the one who commanded that Jesus be praised. It is good to thank Jesus but it is not good to thank him more than you thank the Father because every thing that Jesus gives to us comes from the Father. Our primary function is to serve and worship the Father. Our secondary function in to serve and worship Jesus. All of Christianity seems to be out of balance with an emphasis on Jesus as the center of devotion. Evangelicals, because they are extreme by nature, are extremely out of balance in this area.
©Terry Lefler, 04/2007, 06/2007 All rights reserved complete list of editorials: 2004 election * "Sanctity of Life" is a "false doctrine" * Abortion Divorce God's Purpose for Hurricane Katrina * Why Do Muslims Hate Jews? * Masturbation The Meaning of Life * Why Churches Don't Have Unity * Who Can Be Saved?
Questions or comments? Contact me at: or web site links
|